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Owners of private property along Priority Pedestrian Routes must clear sidewalks of snow by 10am

Posted Date: December 11, 2017

To ensure the safety of pedestrians, Port Moody City Council has amended Sidewalk and Boulevard Maintenance Bylaw Number 2426 to identify Priority Pedestrian Routes and require owners of private property along these routes to clear adjacent sidewalks of snow and ice by 10am every day.

“The 2016/2017 winter season was a difficult one, with some extremely challenging weather conditions,” says Mayor Mike Clay. “While we appreciate the efforts made by many residents and businesses to clear snow and ice from sidewalks adjacent to their properties, we still heard a lot of complaints from concerned citizens that some areas were not being cleared. Council's highest priority is the safety of our residents. The bylaw amendments will help us ensure sidewalks on priority routes are cleared in a timely manner so that our residents, particularly people with mobility issues, children, and users of public transit, can get around town safely.

“Council acknowledges that some sidewalks adjacent to City properties could have been better maintained last winter,” continues Clay, “and the City has invested in new equipment and developed plans for sidewalk clearing that are similar to our road clearing plans.”

Priority Pedestrian Routes are sidewalks near Port Moody SkyTrain stations that typically see higher volumes of commuter pedestrian traffic. They are identified in Bylaw 2426, Schedule A as follows

Street Name

Sections

Sides

St. Johns Street/Barnet Highway

From Queens Street to Coquitlam border/ Balmoral Drive

North and south

Clarke Street

From Queens Street to Moody Street

South

Dewdney Trunk Road

From St. Johns Street to Viewmount Drive

North and south

Moody Street

From Clarke Street to St. Johns Street

East and west

Hugh Street

From Spring Street to St. Johns Street

East

Williams Street

From Spring Street to St. Johns Street

East and west

Murray Street/Guildford Way

From Klahanie Drive (West) to Ungless Way

North and south

Ioco Road

From Ungless Way to Barnet Highway

East and west

Ungless Way

From Ioco Road to Guildford Way

South

Failure to remove snow and ice by 10am every day from the Priority Pedestrian Route fronting the property may result in fines being issued to the registered property owner, and each day the violation occurs is considered a new offence under Bylaw 2426. Applicable fines range from $100 for a first offence (or $20 if paid within 30 days) to $500 for a third or subsequent offence. In addition to these daily fines, the City may decide to complete the work to clear the pedestrian route at the owner’s expense.

Residents are reminded that owners of private property located outside of Priority Pedestrian Route areas are required to remove snow or ice from sidewalks bordering their property within 24 hours of the cessation of a snowfall or storm event. The City also asks residents to clear curb letdowns (wheelchair ramps) when removing snow from sidewalks adjacent to their property.

Visit portmoody.ca/snowandice to view a map showing Port Moody’s Priority Pedestrian Routes, and to learn more about the City’s snow and ice control operations.